The Phoenix City Council unanimously approved during its Wednesday meeting a comprehensive Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan and the allocation of $10 million in annual funding for its implementation.
Traffic fatalities have increased in Phoenix over many years, and the Road Safety Action Plan creates a data-driven, decision-making process to identify and prioritize transportation safety improvements by using 41 actionable strategies.
The goal of the Plan is to reduce the number of traffic fatalities and serious injuries in Phoenix to zero by 2050, and connects with the Vision Zero philosophy that those types of incidents are preventable. The Plan also incorporates the Five E’s of Traffic Safety: Evaluation, Engineering, Enforcement, Education and Equity.
“My commitment to the people of Phoenix is to make our roadways safer, whether you’re on foot, on a bike, or in a car,” said Mayor Kate Gallego. “The action plan approved today places the city in a much better position to access federal dollars that will amplify our investment, making it possible to bring new safety infrastructure to even more of our neighborhoods.”
In addition to its 41 strategies, the Road Safety Action Plan also identifies a series of 31 performance measures linked to meeting the 2050 goal of zero traffic fatalities. Those benchmarks include a 25 percent reduction in traffic deaths by 2027 and a 65 percent reduction by 2035.
“The Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan is the outcome of concerted efforts from staff in multiple city departments, experts in traffic design and technology, and external partners who listened to and discussed the needs of the community,” said Debra Stark, District 3 Councilwoman and chair of the City Council Transportation, Infrastructure and Planning Subcommittee. “The Plan not only calls for safer and more reliable infrastructure and updated technology; it also incorporates effective enforcement, data analysis and ongoing public education to deliver a well-rounded approach to achieving road safety.”
Wednesday’s City Council decision also approved formation of a Vision Zero Community Advisory Committee, which will provide feedback and recommendations regarding how the Plan is facilitated. The committee will consist of 11 members of the public, appointed by the Mayor and City Council members, who will receive quarterly updates about the implementation of the Plan.
The Road Safety Action Plan is a culmination of an extensive planning effort that included a detailed five-year crash analysis (2016-2020), and a two-phase public engagement process that resulted in more than 5,000 comments from residents about roadway safety.
“Developing and implementing a comprehensive Road Safety Action Plan is the top priority of the department,” said Street Transportation Director Kini Knudson. “I’m grateful for the support of Mayor Gallego and the City Council toward this critical initiative. I’d also like to acknowledge the focused work of my staff and consultants in developing it. Improving roadway safety is a community effort and the Street Transportation Department has dedicated itself to the task of reversing recent trends and improving safety for all.”
The $10 million in annually funding to implement the Plan comes from $3 million allocated from the city’s general fund, $2 million from Transportation 2050 (T2050) and $5 million from the Highway User Revenue Fund (HURF).
In March 2021, City Council unanimously approved funding for development of the Plan, and in January 2022 approved to incorporate the goals of Vision Zero into it.
The approved Vision Zero Road Safety Action Plan can be viewed here.
